Winner. “This was taken in the South Ari Atolls, Maldives, as the south-west monsoon season was setting in. It features my partner – and dive buddy – Emma after surfacing at the end of the last dive of the day to find 1.5 metre swells and dark monsoon clouds. MICK RYAN, JUDGE: This beautiful portrait of a diver in an ocean swell below a menacing sky stands out this month for its emotional and elemental beauty. It is a reminder that while we may play among nature we are always dwarfed by its power and must be constantly on our guard”. (Photo by Simon Dunn/The Guardian)

A lizard wears clothing and a headset at Pet Expo Thailand on May 07, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. Dogs take part in a skateboarding competition at Pet Expo Thailand, a four day exhibition held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Dogs were judged on form and agility and separated into novice and experienced categories. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

Dancers take to the dance floor as they show their skills to impress the judges and hope to advance to the next heat during the Blackpool Dance Festival at Blackpool Empress Ballroom on May 26, 2023 in Blackpool, England. The dance festival, which features more than 7,000 dancers from across the world for over two weeks, is hosted annually in the Empress Ballroom at Blackpool's Winter Gardens venue and is back for its 97th year. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The Historic Photographer of the Year awards celebrate historic places and cultural sites across the globe, from national treasures to hidden gems. Entries were judged on originality, composition and technical proficiency as well as the story that inspired the submission and its historical impact. Here: Overall winner. Mont Saint-Michel by Daniel Burton. (Photo by Daniel Burton/The Guardian)

Garry Stretch, who holds the Guinness World Record for having the stretchiest skin performs before he judges the auditions for the Circus of Horrors at Fairfield Halls on October 7, 2005 in London, England. Hundreds of people applied for a job in the circus after advertisments were placed in many of London's job centres. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Burnouts became a serious form of competition and entertainment in their own right. Considerable prize money or goods are sometimes involved, and cars may even be sponsored or purpose-built specifically as “burnout cars”. Burnout contests are judged on crowd response, with style and attitude therefore being important factors. Such contests are particularly popular in Australia but often occur in North America as well. Wikipedia

Shortlisted images in the running to be crowned Photobox Instagram photograph of the year range from furry friends to the Holi festival to the meaning of love. Judges, including the Guardian’s former picture editor Eamonn McCabe, have whittled down 180,000 submissions to unearth a shortlist that celebrates the best of social media. Winners will be announced October 3, 2018. Here: Najac, France. Travel shortlist. (Photo by Aaron Jenkin/@aaronjenkin)

A traffic policewoman shows her ink-stained fingers after casting her ballot at a polling station, during early voting for the parliamentary election in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk, April 28, 2014. Iraq will be holding its national elections on April 30. (Photo by Ari Jala/Reuters)